Dubya attends Army/Navy game - Ajarn Forum

spliff · 6th December 2004, 10:49

Quote:

Bush in Phila. as a football fan...On his first Pa. postelection visit, he thanked Army and Navy players for their service.

By Thomas Fitzgerald. Inquirer Staff Writer

He lost Philadelphia by 390,000 votes, the bluest patch in a state colored Democratic blue on electoral maps, but President Bush found a spot of red - and a thunderous welcome - at Lincoln Financial Field yesterday for the Army-Navy football game.

One of the most storied rivalries in sports was overshadowed by the war in Iraq, as Bush paid homage to the young warriors from the U.S. Military Academy and the Naval Academy who may find themselves fighting there soon - and to alumni who have already given their lives.

Air Force One flew over the stadium and dipped its wing in salute on its way into Philadelphia International Airport for the President's 45th visit to Pennsylvania, his first since winning reelection.

"Listen, good luck today," Bush told the Army team kneeling in ranks in the visitors' locker room before the game. "I know you're going to play hard, but I'm here to tell you thanks for serving your country. I'm proud that you decided to serve the great United States of America. We need your character; we need your class. God bless you all."

Navy won, 42-13, finishing the regular season with nine wins for the first time since 1963.

When Bush visited the Navy locker room, he walked through a doorway framed by jerseys of three former players killed in Iraq: Ron Winchester, J.P. Blecksmith and Scott Zellem.

It took a moment for people in the stands to realize who the distant figure in the blue overcoat was when Bush appeared on the Navy sideline an hour before game time, surveying the players limbering up, but the crowd of nearly 70,000 roared when his image flashed on the jumbo TV screens.

"God bless you, Mr. President!" a group of fans shouted as he walked through the east end zone to visit the Army side.

It was a day of pageantry rather than politics.

"Who's going to win?" a reporter shouted from 50 feet away. Bush hesitated a moment and said, "The United States of America."

Just before Bush walked to midfield for the coin toss, a dozen sky divers from both branches of the service landed on the field.

A squadron of Navy F-14s - the "Puking Dogs" of Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia - boomed over the stadium, followed by seven clattering Apache helicopter gunships from the Army.

The commander-in-chief spent the first half on the Army side, sitting in Section 121, Row 31, Seat 14, surrounded by injured soldiers. He was accompanied by his brother Marvin; Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.), a Naval Academy graduate; Sen. Zell Miller (D., Ga.); Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi; chief of staff Andrew H. Card Jr.; and political aide Karl Rove.

At halftime, as tradition dictates, Bush moved to the Navy side of the field. He was escorted through a cordon of cadets and midshipmen by Lt. Gen. William Lennox, who handed him off to Vice Adm. Rodney Rempt in a flurry of saluting.

Bush then sat through the third quarter in Section 102, Row 25, Seat 22, before leaving to fly back to Washington.

The President also attended the Army-Navy game at Veterans Stadium in 2001, less than three months after the Sept. 11 attacks, shortly after the U.S. military attacked al-Qaeda and its Taliban allies in Afghanistan.

"It's great to see the President here," said John Gunerman, 21, a senior at the Naval Academy. "He's a solid leader with strong morals and values."

Gunerman, of Cazenovia, N.Y., will serve on destroyers, but he said the possibility of serving in Iraq was never far from the minds of midshipmen.

"People sign up for this job knowing that is part of it," he said. "We didn't come here to sit behind a desk, but to go into harm's way."

The US cherishes this President with a zeal not experienced since Pres. R. Reagan. His welcome at the big game went far beyond mannerly, "polite" applause. The atmosphere was absolutely..ON FIRE - every time he made an appearance or his image flared up on the big-board, the stadium responded. The liberal left (aka - moonbats) will never grasp what occurred on Saturday - I'm certain they're incapable of sensing the sort of sentiment that a popular wartime Commander in Chief provokes from this great country..especially, its military community. Personally, I've attended about 15 Army/Navy games and I'm really sorry I missed this one!

Unwell · 6th December 2004, 11:29

buncha hopped up meatheads applaud an (ex) hopped up meathead.

next.

Obelix · 6th December 2004, 12:55

Soon they will be in the Middle East dying while Bush and his political base remain safe in America. The Iraqi patriots are doing better than ever at killing the evil occupation force in their country. Last month set a record for the number dead. Maybe they will surpass it this month for Christmas.
Meanwhile as reported by 60 minutes tonight the US is calling up 50 year old grandmothers for active duty. George is sure a brave guy.

spliff · 6th December 2004, 14:03

Quote:

Bush and his political base

Ohh, you must be referring to the...BushCheneyHaliburtonIlluminatiAlienOligarchy

anon · 6th December 2004, 18:01

woo hoo!

three cheers for unarmoured humvees!!!!

three cheers for soldiers without kevlar vests!!!

three cheers for alarmingly high suicide rates for soldiers in iraq!!!

three cheers for the "stop loss" program!!!

three cheers for cutting veterans benefits!!!

:puke:

GWBAWOL was a hell of a soldier himself......protecting texas.

Mr_Snafu · 6th December 2004, 18:51

I don't want to sound like a complainer, or criticize other posters' threads they start.

But I will say this:

Threads about the U.S., Bush, whatever, are boring the hell out of me, and a lot of people.

captain sensible · 6th December 2004, 18:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_Snafu

I don't want to sound like a complainer, or criticize other posters' threads they start.

But I will say this:

Threads about the U.S., Bush, whatever, are boring the hell out of me, and a lot of people.

Thats bad luck snaf. Perhaps when you grow up they will make you a mod.
Havent you got some frisbee throwing to do?

Mr_Snafu · 6th December 2004, 19:11

"Frisbee throwing?"

What do you mean by that?

captain sensible · 6th December 2004, 19:20

I suppose it is my way of saying, who cares what you think snaf.

Anti war threads and anti anything topical threads are someting that might bore you but that is tough.
Or perhaps we should just discuss what you want to discuss snaf.

Now then, what would you like to discuss snaf?

Mr_Snafu · 6th December 2004, 19:30

You have a fair point, Captain Sensible.

I am not one to be judging. I guess it's not the threads about the U.S., War, or such but I can't stand seeing Bush's face.

Spliff put a picture of that turd in the football game with the jugheads or squids or whatever, and I am sick of Spliffy's fixation with Bush.

Anyway, we can discuss what you want to discuss Captain.

You have a point. I shouldn't criticize, but simply scroll past. Or....start my own topics that interest me.

Added after 57 seconds:

You have a fair point, Captain Sensible.

I am not one to be judging. I guess it's not the threads about the U.S., War, or such but I can't stand seeing Bush's face.

Spliff put a picture of that turd in the football game with the jugheads or squids or whatever, and I am sick of Spliffy's fixation with Bush.

Anyway, we can discuss what you want to discuss Captain.

You have a point. I shouldn't criticize, but simply scroll past. Or....start my own topics that interest me.

Added after 4 minutes:

You have a fair point, Captain Sensible.

I am not one to be judging. I guess it's not the threads about the U.S., War, or such but I can't stand seeing Bush's face.

Spliff put a picture of that turd in the football game with the jugheads or squids or whatever, and I am sick of Spliffy's fixation with Bush.

Anyway, we can discuss what you want to discuss Captain.

You have a point. I shouldn't criticize, but simply scroll past. Or....start my own topics that interest me.

captain sensible · 6th December 2004, 19:36

I am sorry snaf. What was that you said?

anon · 6th December 2004, 20:17

good for you mr. snafu.

a mature, intelligent reply--although you didn't have to make it 3 times.

however, i do see your initial point. sometimes i just can't take another iraq thread, so i don't even enter the virtual pub. other times though, the absurdity of it all gets me so incensed that i have to vent. take a break for a few days---unfortunately this tragedy is not going to end anytime soon.

spliff · 7th December 2004, 07:35

Well, I suppose we could talk about the latest "money for peace scandal" inundating Koffi Anus and the Useless Nitwits taking up space over at Turtle Bay.

anon · 7th December 2004, 18:38

donut boy, was that the title of the thread that you started? was that mentioned in your original post? no, and no.
you decided to start a thread about how beloved GWBAWOL is by the military community. well, it looks like there are at least 8 people (soldiers, by the way, and not chickenhawks) who feel differently from you....

bbc 7 dec.

Quote:

Eight US soldiers have begun legal action in an effort to stop the US army extending their tours of duty in Iraq.
With US forces stretched by deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, many units have been ordered to stay on longer than originally expected.

Soldiers have been kept abroad even if the date they were due to leave the army has passed.

The soldiers, seven of whom have stayed anonymous, are believed to be the first active-duty personnel to sue the army.

Lawyers for the men have teamed up with the Center for Constitutional Rights, a liberal public interest group, to launch a class action lawsuit calling for an end to the practice known as "stop loss".

anon · 9th December 2004, 05:52

dubya doesn't seem to be sharing the love.

from the ultra-conservative washington times....

Quote:

Washington, DC, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- U.S. veterans from the war in Iraq are beginning to show up at homeless shelters around the country, and advocates fear they are the leading edge of a new generation of homeless vets not seen since the Vietnam era.

chew 'em up, and spit 'em out.

:puke: